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Sorry for my radio silence over the past…three months. I’m not really sure what happened, but I’m going to try to start posting and reviewing again occasionally. Things are really busy right now, but hopefully I can find time. No promises.
24 Wednesday Sep 2014
Posted blogging about blogging, books
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Sorry for my radio silence over the past…three months. I’m not really sure what happened, but I’m going to try to start posting and reviewing again occasionally. Things are really busy right now, but hopefully I can find time. No promises.
17 Monday Feb 2014
Posted blogging about blogging, clothing, food, random things
inTags
awards, blogging, blogging awards, fashion, food, le gigot, Liebster Award, questions, randomness, surveys, the Liebster award
Hooray! I do enjoy writing these things, although I always vaguely feel that I’m wasting my time; also that whatever I write won’t be as funny and witty and profound as the post of the person who nominated me (here). But they’re fun.
So, to the questions!
1. Show us your sock drawer. *PEERpressurePEERpressure*: Ah, well, actually I literally just reorganized my sock storing system, so there’s not much to see. Three weeks ago, there were lots of random and rather embarrassing things (for example, I found a long-forgotten stash of candy, which chillingly probably tastes exactly the same as it did three years ago). Also, an assortment of small purses and bags that I have no idea what do with, which I end up tossing in a dark corner, hoping the problem will resolve itself. And a random comb.
Now, however, my sock drawer basket looks like this:
Not very interesting, I know. Literally nothing but socks. I promise, I’m not one of those hyper-organized people with literally nothing out of place. The rest of my room is still extremely messy, though I’m working on it (and I suspect I always will be). For example, underneath my desk:
(Sigh). The photo doesn’t do it justice. The same situation is going on underneath my bookshelf. I’m planning to use the long weekend to organize it a bit though.
2. Favorite type of workout? Define workout: does badminton count? I can only play it in the summer, but it’s great. I’ve also been running lately, and that’s fun. I enjoy swimming too, but infrequently. And I recently played racquetball for the first time; it was so fun!!
3. Favorite type of cheese (or cheeze)? There’s this type of sheep’s cheese called etorki that I really enjoy. I also like some varieties of goat’s cheese, and shredded parmesan is good on pasta.
4. What would your last meal be? One of my favorite restaurants ever is a French restaurant in New York called Le Gigot. It’s so good. I would have their signature dish, le gigot (leg of lamb) as well as their chocolate cake, which is the best dessert in the history of desserts. In more modern terms, it is the definition of #foodgasm. Even though I just had breakfast I’m salivating at the thought of it (you probably didn’t need to know that). If you’re ever in New York and can possibly afford it, YOU NEED TO GO THERE (if only for the cake, which, as I said, is on the level of the divine). It is really expensive, but I would totally just go for the cake.
I seem to have digressed from the original question. Ah well, rambling is good. On the other hand, for my last meal I might want to have something home-cooked; perhaps a bowl of my mom’s beef stew, which is amazing. The problem is that there are too many good foods, all of which I would like to consume before dying.
5. Favorite outfit? Let’s not talk about it…I used to be totally fashion oblivious (those were the days). I think my recent awareness of clothes and stuff has unfortunately less to do with caring about looking good and more to do with my entrance into public high school. There are a whole bunch of shirts that I never wear out of the house; I need to get rid of them and swap them for something I’d actually don with pride. I just feel so frivolous buying new clothes when I don’t really need them! I don’t really have a favorite outfit, but here are some favorite parts to outfits:
A wool jacket I bought at Loehmann’s. It’s not that warm but I love it. Incidentally, Lohemann’s, a store I can tolerate shopping in, is going out of business. 😦 It also upsets me that I won’t be in the city to take advantage of the 80% off prices. Loehmann’s was a really lovely store because they had fancy designer clothing for really cheap prices. I blame the Internet for their fall. Ah well. There are always other places, but it’s mainly sad because they were in existence for 94 years.
A dress, also from Loehmann’s. I have no idea where the pink came from; it’s completely black.
A something or other from Urban Outfitters.
My mom got this dress for me somewhere in China (really narrows it down, I know). I have yet to wear it, but I’m sure I will in the summer.
Anyway, that’s it. The reason there aren’t pictures of me wearing them is that “selfies” and me don’t get along. I apologize for the atrocious quality. Let’s move on. Talking about fashion is never interesting for very long.
6. Favorite caffeinated beverage? Hot chocolate and coffee mixed together.
7. One of your favorite fictional characters has shown up on your doorstep ready to take you on the adventure of a lifetime. Who are they, and where do you go?
I don’t know…my favorite fictional characters don’t really go on adventures. Yeah, I’m too lazy to answer this question.
8. Any tattoos you’d like? I have something of a vendetta against tattoos. In my opinion they’re a crude form of art. Enough said.
9. Hair color? Would you ever dye it? Chop it all off? I like my hair color, so no, I doubt I’d dye it. Highlights I might consider. What I dislike about my hair is its inability to behave itself; I had it straightened once, and it was heaven for about 3 days before it went back to normal. It’s too much trouble to do regularly though. I would chop it all off except that it would just go straight up (that’s what I used to look like). I do like the slightly longer than pixie cut look, but it’s not for me. I’d have to straighten my hair twice a week.
10.Favorite smell? Ah, but there are so many! Let’s see: chocolate in any form, autumn, good food cooking, oranges, passion fruit, and certain books.
Thanks for the nomination, GITO!
05 Sunday Jan 2014
Posted blogging about blogging, books
inTags
2014, book reviews, books, New Year's, New Year's resolutions, reading, reading resolutions, resolutions, the New Year
I think we all know that New Year’s resolutions are overrated; after all, the beginning of a new year is completely arbitrary, and I could just as well do this in February for Chinese New Year, but nevertheless, I have some bookish related resolutions:
1. Read less. I know this seems counter-intuitive; but I guess I don’t mean read less, I mean read more slowly, take more time. I’m a really fast reader, and I feel like sometimes I’m rushing to finish and review books so that I can keep up the volume of posts, and that’s not good. When I slow down, I always notice so much more.
2. Read better. MG YA fiction is all very well, but this year I want to read more literature and more nonfiction. Rest assured, I’ll still be reading children’s and teen books from my favorite authors, but probably less of it. There are so many young adult and middle grade novels coming out that look good and I’m sure would be entertaining, but are just sort of a waste of time for me. Reading biography, history, science, and classic literature is much more worthwhile. Sometimes, though, you just need a break, you know? And that’s when I turn to YA or really well written middle grade.
3. Read longer: Les Miserables, here I come! War and Peace, watch out! This goes along with both #1 and #2. If I want to post every day or almost every day, I can’t read Hugo and Tolstoy; instead I have to read shorter books. Which means that I probably won’t be posting quite as much this year. There’s also the fact that I have lots of other activities that I want to devote time to. If only we could freeze the clock…
4. Review better. Since I’m going to read less books, I can review each of those books more in-depth, right? At least I hope so. We’ll see.
5. Start participating in those book blogging things: Not sure what to call them, but I want to start doing Top Ten Tuesday, and other things like that. Hopefully it will garner more traffic as well, though that’s just an added bonus.
So, this year and perhaps years after you can expect less posting, but hopefully better reviews of better books and other posts. Looking forward to it. Happy New Year, all!
19 Thursday Sep 2013
Posted blogging about blogging, random things
inTags
awards, blogging, blogging award, blogging awards, Liebster, Liebster Award, nominated, nomination, questions, wordpress
So, no less than two bloggers have nominated me for a Liebster Award, and I’m honored. My other blog got a Liebster Award, but The Literary Flaneur hasn’t, so I’m happy to accept. 🙂 Funnily enough, one of the people who nominated me also got nominated by someone named Cleo. Well, Cleopatra, but close enough.
The two people who nominated me: http://owamyau.wordpress.com/ and http://marsholic.wordpress.com/. Thanks again!
The rules:
So, the 10 questions from Ow Am Yau:
What was the first CD you ever bought?
Hmm, not exactly sure…something classical though.
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Hmm…my practical side says that would result in severe malnutrition and death. But death by chocolate sounds like a fun way to go, doesn’t it?
Who was your favorite teacher at school and why?
Well, I’m not done with the schooling stuff yet, but as of right now, I’d have to say my middle school math teacher(s), who were amazing teachers who made me appreciate math. Other reasons, too. 😉
If your life was made into a movie what genre would it be?
I don’t know…thus far, my life isn’t interesting enough for movie material. But probably at the moment an angsty teen thing. I would rather my life be a book, though.
What’s the tackiest thing you’ve ever bought while on holiday, either for yourself or as a gift?
Great question! I don’t usually buy tacky/touristy things “on holiday” (that’s a British phrase, isn’t it). I suppose a bunch of animal postcards when I went to Portland. The funny thing about them is that I haven’t sent any of them yet because they’re so pretty. And I bought them over two years ago.
What animal do you think most reflects your personality the best? (or, the way I wanted to phrase this question: a) what would your patronus be, and b) what form would your daemon take?)
I think my patronus would be some sort of cat (not Umbridge’s cat though. <Shudder>). More like a small wild cat. And as for my daemon, I don’t really know. Perhaps a bird of some sort. That would be cool.
Last thing you saw at the theatre?
Yup, definitely British. Do you mean the movies or the actual, like, theater? The last movie I saw was something called Nicky’s Family, a documentary. The last play…I have no idea. But I did see a whole bunch of operas at the Santa Fe Opera House, which counts as a theater, right? The last one I saw was Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro.
Have you ever had a crush on an embarrassing or inappropriate celebrity?
No, I don’t think so. It depends what you mean by “embarassing”.
What’s in your pocket right now?
I’m currently wearing pajamas, so no pockets. And don’t even get me started on how stupid it is that other than jeans, most girl’s clothing doesn’t even have pockets! Sometimes they even have fake pockets. Grr…
Say you wake up tomorrow morning to find you’re invisible. What’s the first thing you do?
I’m not sure…be excited?
And the questions from “My Hidding Place”:
What has been the worst thing that has ever happened to you?
This condition thing…I’m not going into it, k? Jeez, so prying! 😉
What is your favorite book?
Such a question cannot be answered. But some of my favorite books: The Fault in Our Stars, The Great Gatsby, Code Name Verity, and Pride and Prejudice.
If you had to choose to live the life of a literary character which one would you choose? Why?
Maybe Katsa from Graceling, because I’d love to be so amazing at fighting and survival skills. Also, there’s Po. That’s definitely a factor…
Chocolate or coffee?
Chocolate, of course. But hot chocolate mixed with coffee is heavenAccording to your opinion which have been the worst literary adaptations to the cinema?.
What is the best film you’ve seen?
That’s hard. That’s harder than even the book question because I don’t actually watch that many films, and I don’t remember them as well being amazing. I love the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice, though.
What is your favorite TV show?
I don’t really watch TV, but Downton Abbey, I suppose.
According to your opinion which have been the worst literary adaptations to the cinema?
The 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. Bleh.
What places would you like to travel to?
All over the world, but back to France and England, to Italy, India, Sri Lanka, Botswana, Germany, Iceland, Denmark, Peru. Lots of places.
Describe yourself in one sentence.
Reader, thinker, awesome. (Not a sentence, I know).
What do you prefer: musical or terror films?
Neither, really. I suppose musicals though.
My questions:
1. Chocolate? If so, milk or dark?
2. What are some of your favorite books and authors?
3. Twilight: love or hate?
4. What is your favorite “classic”?
5. Austen or Dickens?
6. Least favorite book?
7. What is something you never leave the house without?
8. Are you a morning person or a night person?
9. What’s your favorite city?
10. Dogs or cats?
I’m going to nominate blogs later. I failed, I know. But I’m really busy at the moment what with the start of school and all of that. If you have any suggestions, let me know.
07 Sunday Jul 2013
Posted blogging about blogging
inI’ve thought about this a long time; I started my review blog in November 2011, and yet I have only 13 official Blogger followers; within one day of starting a WordPress blog, I have 3 followers. It’s kind of annoying to have so few, because having lots of followers really helps with acquiring review copies. And with my self-esteem. I like to think that people read my reviews, but no one ever comments.
Anyway, the point is, if you’re following this blog, I’d love it if you would follow http://www.novareviews.blogspot.com through one of the means available (preferably the Google follow, but there is also Blog Lovin’ and email subscription). You don’t have to though (obviously). Thanks for following! Enjoy! I have some more posts written, but I think I shall save them for later in the week.